Hard Times and Warm Moments

Well, crap! I haven't updated in about a month! This isn't much of a surprise, though, because life has been crazy busy around here for the last few weeks. The first part of the month was a challenge, dealing with my grandmother being quite sick. I was able to take a quick trip out to North Carolina to see her, though, which was a really special trip. The trip was incredibly last minute (like I booked the ticket the night before I left!), but I worried I wouldn't have a chance to see her if I waited.

An upside to this type of trip was that I got to catch up with some of my relatives that I don't get to see often enough. We had a nice family dinner one night, and spent the time in the hospital telling stories and keeping grandma company. There is so much love in my family, and having so many of us with Grandma during this time was really special. She's had visitors in and out for the last few weeks, and I know how much that means to her. This type of situation isn't easy on anyone, but coming together and supporting each other is a so important. At this point, I wish my grandma comfort and peace. It's hard to tell how much longer she'll be with us, but obviously her impact will last far beyond that.

A really special part of the weekend was when my aunts coordinated to throw me a surprise baby shower! They'd kept it a secret all day, and I didn't even suspect it when my aunt insisted I leave the room with her to walk my uncle out. I came back to the room totally oblivious, and took a minute to notice the pile of baby-themed presents wrapped up in the middle of the room. Ha! It was such a special evening, to share this celebration of my little baby with some of the woman I'm proud to call my family. It was especially nice to be able to include my grandma in the shower, since she's stuck in bed and not having the greatest time. They got us some lovely gifts for the baby, and really just filled my heart with so much love!

This is the first baby of my generation of the family. So exciting!
Grandma is in the middle, surrounded by three aunts and one of my cousins.
I miss you guys!

This little orange outfit was a great way to mix up the
gender neutral options. I love it!

A cozy swaddle blanket and a snuggly little elephant.

Lots of goodies from Aunt Cathy and Caroline!
(And those butter cookies in the corner were REALLY good!)

My grandmas card included the money to buy our carseat!
A really helpful gift and huge surprise!

This baby is so lucky already. The love that is being shown has blown me away... and the kid isn't even here yet! I can't wait to introduce the baby to the world come March, and can pretty much guarantee a trip to North Carolina on the horizon at some point... hopefully summer of 2015. The beach is calling!